Plate bending machine



Aug. 16, 1932. s n-H PLATE BENDI'NG MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1929 5 SheetS-Sheet l INVENTOR:

Frank. H Smifih.

Atty.

Aug. 16, 1932. H sMlTH 1,872,355

PLATE BENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Frank H. Smith 7 Atty.

Aug. 16, 1932. F H, s H- 1,872,355

PLATE BENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR:

Frank H. Smith Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK E. SMITH, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SOUTI-IWARK FOUNDRY & MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA PLATE PENDING MACHINE Application filed August 12, 1929. Serial No. 385,191.

This invention relates to bending mechanism, that is to say, mechanism for shaping metal sheets into curved form, cylindrical or semi-cylindrical, as the case may be.

One object of the invention is to provide vertical rolls for effecting the bending or one of said rack rods when moved in one direction and simultaneously effecting movement of the other rack rod in the opposite direction.

And a further object of the invention is to 29 provide fluid pressure means whereby the upper roll may be moved toward and from and held in proper position with respect to the lower rolls when the apparatus is in operation.

These and other features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter; reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of plate bending mechanism within the scope of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking in the direction of the arrow a, Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line IV-IV, Fig. 3.

The lower rolls 1 and 2 are vertically mounted in a suitable frame or housing 3. They may be supported by suitable antifriction bearings 1 and 2 in the base i of the frame or housing and they are operatively connected to heavy pinions 5 and 6 at their lower ends. The upper roll is indicated at 7 and its lower end may be journaled in a support 8 slidably mounted in the base 4 supporting the housing 3. while its upper end may be jo'urnaled in a displaceable housing 9. pivotally connected to rods 9*, which are slidable with respect to the upper portion of said housing 4.

The upper roll is movable toward and from the lower rolls and this may be effected by means of rams 10 and 11 disposed in cylinders 10 and 11*; the ram 10 serving to eflect movement of the lower support 8 while theram 11 is arranged to act upon a yoke member 12 to which the rods 9 are operatively. connected. These rods are pivotally connected at 9 to the displaceable housing 9. When the rams l0 and 11 are in the position indicated in Figs'l and 3, the upper roll 7 is in the extreme outer position and upon imparting motion to said rams by fluid pressure directed to the respective cylinders this roll will be brought into engagement with the work, a plate for instance,

indicated at A, by broken lines.

Suitably supported by the base are a pair of horizontal cylinders 15 and 16, containing rams 15 and 16 to which rams the rack rods 17 and 18 are connected. These rack rods are disposed on opposite sides of the pinions 5 and 6 and in such relation thereto that when pressure is supplied to one cylinder 15, for instance, to move its ram 15*, the other cylinder is open to exhaust and the motion imparted to the pinions by the rack rod 18 upon operation of said ram i 15*, will cause said pinions to move the other rack rod 18 and ram 16 in the opposite direction.

Assuming the rack rods to be in the posi tion indicated in Figs. 1 and 4 the plate will be entered from the left and when the upper roll has been moved into proper position with respect to the same to impart the desired curvature, motion will be imparted to the ram 15 to move the rack rod 17. This action, in addition to moving the rolls for the first pass of the plate aotuates the rack rod 18 and ram 16* in the opposite direction. After the first pass the upper roll may be moved closer to the lower rolls to increase the curvature imparted to the plate and the plate may then be started for the second pass, in the opposite direction from the first,

which may be effected by rotation of the If a complete cylinder is being rolled, it must be removed vertically and for this purpose the upper housing 9 must be lifted. To do this, the pull-back rams 10 and 11 are ac- "tuated to move the upper roll, then the key 20 holding the journal for the upper end of the upper roll in position with respect to said housing 9 is removed, and fluid pressure having been introduced into the cylinder 21 mounted on top of the frame or housing 4;, its rods 21 pivotally connected to said roll housing 9, lifts the same to the posit-ion indicated by dotted lines Fig. 3, and the Work may be removed.

I claim:

The combination of a frame, three bending rolls Vertically mounted therein, pinions carried by a pair of said rolls, a pair of racks in parallel arrangement engaging the opposite sides of said pinions bearings'for the opposite ends of the several rolls; the upper bearings for the driven rolls being relatively fixed, adjustable bearings for the other roll, and means for displacing the bearing for the u1 per end of said latter roll comprising a swinging cylinder carried by the roll-supporting frame and a fluid operated piston rod therein pivotally connected to said displaceable means.

In Witness whereof I have signed this specification.

FRANK H. SMITH. 

